The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-15
Recent Southern Literature

The movement in Southern literature,
which has recently been considered of suffi.
Gent Importance to merit the attention of
at least one essayist, provokes, just now, con-
siderable comment at home. As far as fic-
ton is concerned it cannot be denied that
Southern literature has had its principal de-
velopment since the war; Mr.. Gable, Mr..
Johnston, Mr.. Harris and others, have ele-
waited Southern literature out of the realm
of provinciality, so-called, and they justly
deserve whatever honors have been accorded
them. Before their day, however, there
were writer's of fiction who gave the public
works of singular charm, and they did
not place Southern character in an objec-
tionable light in order to achieve success.
1t is not meant that all the writers of the
post bellum school have sacrificed truth to
gain applause, but it is suspected that some
OF them have done SO,
There is disposition in the new school
to portray as the typical Southerner a
half educated, half dressed, and alto
gether ill hammered individual. What
makes the portrayal still more unpleas-
ant is the not infrequent introduction
of an individual from some other section of
the country who is quite too elegant and
cultured TO live and move anywhere except
among Utopians or angels This is unfair,
and it tends to give the uniformed an
erroneous impression of Southern life
Sometime ago a story in one of the New
York magazines had its scene laid in one of
the most cultured towns in Georgia. Since
a hundred years ago the people of that town
have been noted for their education and re-
tinement, and for more than fifty years the
councils of the nation were given dignity
and force by the presence in them of men
who claimed that town as the place of their
nativity. Law makers for dozen States,
Governors for at least half that number.
several noted members of the lower house
of Congress, at least two of the most dis
tinguished Senators that ever represented
the South, iuristS, educators and
divines who are known wherever Georgia is
known, and some of the most gallant sol
diers that ever bore arms were born and
grew to manhood in that town. The story
in question, however, introduced to the
public as typical residents a set of cut-throat
VIII hOuitl nave ilttll II ulSSEaCC TO
typical mining town in the West. People
who recognized the description of their town
as given in the story could not understand
why the writer SO unpleasantly misrepre-
sented them They wondered, too, why the
writer, himself native Of the town, should
apparently be so anxious 10 belittle South
ern character.
There can be no objection TO the stories
which depict life among the lower classes in
the South, because they are truthful, as a
rule, in all their details. There can be no
objection to the truthful portrayal of char
acteristics among the better classes of
Southern people. When, however, Southern
writers deliberately create false impressions
OF their own people, they are guilty of
wrong for which there is no excuse.
The writer of stories, who treats the South
ern people as they are will not only be the
pioneer in field of unlimited possibilities.
but be will deserve the gratitude of people
WHO have suffered much from misrepresenta-
tion.